Clever household tips you probably never knew before: 1

Time to do the spring cleaning! Missing a few of the cleaners you normally use to get your bathroom spic-and-span? Never fear! You can use items you already have around the house to get the room sparkling clean!

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Spring arrives next week, at least that’s what the calendar says. Traditionally, it also brings spring cleaning.

The March 15, 2014 edition of Bottom Line Personal shared 22 household tips provided by Julie Edelman, author of The Accidental Housewife. None of them will involve you having to purchase any cleaners. Those related to cleaning are shared below:

Clean car tires with mayonnaise – Dab a bit of mayonnaise onto the marks of your tires to rid them of tree sap and road tar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove residue with a clean cloth. The vinegar in the mayo acts as a natural cleaner while the oil and eggs add shine.

Clean latex paint from your skin with baby oil – Rub baby oil (gently) anywhere on your skin where there is paint. Then wash with soap and hot water.

Get rid of dishwasher gunk and odors with Kool-Aid – Fill your dishwasher dispenser with a pack of lemonade Kool-Aid or any powdery drink mix containing citric acid. Run the empty dishwasher for a full normal cycle to remove gunk, lime, rust stains and odors.

Polish faucets and more with newspaper – Newspaper ink is a great polishing agent requiring no water or liquid. Just crumple a piece of newspaper and get to rubbing.

Remove deodorant marks on clothing with the foam from dry-cleaner hangers – Remove the foam from a hanger and rub it back and forth on deodorant marks. Although a towel also works, foam is gentler on the fabric.

Remove mold in a refrigerator drip pan with white vinegar – Put some vinegar, a natural sanitizer and bacteria killer, in a spray bottle, and apply directly to the area. Let it sit for 20 minutes before wiping with a clean cloth.

Remove scuff marks on floors and shower curtain scum with tennis balls – Cut an X in a yellow tennis ball, then rub the ball back and forth on the floor to erase scruffs. Throw one or two tennis balls into your washing machine with your shower curtain along with cup of white vinegar and your usual amount of laundry detergent. Run on the regular cycle. The ball acts as a scrub to remove scum and mildew; the vinegar kills mold.

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Janice Holland is a retired public school educator having served her hometown of Suffolk, VA as as the assistant superintendent for administrative services; an elementary principal; a high school assistant principal; and, as a high school mathematics teacher. Since retiring, Janice has worked as a trainer for the VA Department of Education; a mentor for Old Dominion University's Career Switcher program; a homebound and a substitute teacher for Suffolk Public Schools; and as an educational consultant with specialization in ADHD and 504 workshops. She also volunteers for H-E-A-R-T (Hope Exists After Rape Trauma). Contact Janice at Rdfrdmom2@aol.com.

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